Needle threader



March'31,^1931. A. B, CLARK 1,798,306

"NEEDLE THREADER Filed Nov. 2l, 1929 2 Sheets-51116121y l March 31,1931. A.' B, CLARK NEEDLE THREADER Filed NOV. 2]., 1929, 2 Sheets-Sheet2 'Eig'. 9. 2.0 Z9

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Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDREW B. CLARK, OFTHOMASVILLE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JUDGE ROSCOE LUKE, OFTHOMASVILLE, GEORGIA NEEDLE THREADER Application filed November 21,1929. Serial No. 408,795'.

Another object is to provide a structure" of this character Which servesto house a spool of thread to be used with the threading device, itbeing possible to change. the thread readily Whenever desired.

With the foregoing and other objects in view Which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made VWithin thescope of What is claimed Without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has'beenshown.

In said drawing, Y Y Figure 1 isa view partly in side elevation andpartly in section of' the complete device. Figure 2 is a section on line2 2, Figure 1'. Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3 3, Figure 1. fy Figure a is a vertical longitudinal section through one end portion ofthe threader.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 4f, a needle being shown inposition-in the threader during the first step of the threadingoperation. l

Figure 6 is a' vievv through a portion. of the threader showing thethread looped as the needle begins its movement off of they threadingtongue. v

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 6 showing the needle Withdrawn fromthe threader and the threading operation partly completed. l

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the completion of thethreading operation.

Figure 9 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing amodified form ofthe device.

Figure 10 is a central vertical section through one end.

Figurell isan end view showing the rela tive positions of the parts atthe beginning of a threading operation.

Figure 12 isa section on line'12-12, Fig ure 10, showing the positionsof the parts at the second stage of the threading operation.

Figure 13 is a view similar to` Figure 12 showingthe third stage of thethreading operation;

Figure 14 is a view similar to Figures 12 and 13 showing the relativepositions of the parts when the needle has been brought back close toits point of starting.

Figure 15 is a similar View showing the positions of the parts after theneedle has been Withdrawn with the thread extending through the eyethereof.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates acontainer' in which is located a stem 2 projecting upwardly from thebottom thereof. The container has a removable cover 3 and secured inthis cover is a shank 4 the lower portion of Which is tubular asindicated at 5 so that, When the cover is placedin position, this shankWill slide onto and house the stem 2. A guide in the form of a hook oran eye 6 is arranged Within the container 1 and an outlet opening 7 isprovided in the cover 3. A spool indicated at S is adapted to be mountedon the shank 5 after itv has been placed on'stem 2 and the thread Textending from the spool is adapted to be inserted through'the guide 6and the opening 7 so thatV the free end thereof will project outside ofthe casingor container 1.

The'outer end of the shank 4 is attached to the body 8 of the threader.This'body has a tubular end portion Sformed with a longitudinal slot 10which g extends into the body from one end. A cap 11 is removablymounted on the tubular end of the body and is also V1: rovided 'vvith alongitudinal slot 12. This slot is adapted to register With slot 10 andextends across' the end of the. cap as shown Y at'lz.`

Secured at one end in the body 8 is a thin leaf spring 14 the free endof which is pointed as shown at 15 and projects through the slot 13.This spring has a slot 16 adjacent the free end thereof. The spring` isso proportioned that it can be inserted into the eye E of a needle N.

Extending inwardly from the tubular portion of the body 8 is atransverse series of hooks 17 the points of which are pointed inwardlyaway from the open end of the body. These hooks are arranged above thespring strip as indicated in Figure 3.

An opening 18 is provided in the tubular portion ot' the body 8 and thethread T is adapted to be inserted through this opening and through theslot 16 in spring strip 14, the free end of the thread being extendedlaterally through the slots 10 and 12. When it is desired to thread aneedle the eye portion of the needle is placed on the pointed end of thespring strip 14. The needle is then pressed backwardly on said strip,the eye portion of the needle passing through the slot 13 andlongitudinally of the slots 10 and 12. As the eye portion or' the needlepasses over the slot 1G it will enoage the thread and press itbackwardly within the tubular body to form a loop as indicated inFigures 4 and 5. The needle is then pushed toward the pointed end ofspring strip 14 and as the eye portion frictionally engages the loopedthread, said loop will be caused to open wide because of the slack inthe thread. See Figure 6.

Following the foregoing, the needle is conipletely withdrawn from thespring strip 14 and during this operation the looped thread will catchin one or more of the hooks 17, thereby causing a portion of the loop tobe retained in the tubular body after the needle has been withdrawn andas shown in Figure 7. Continued pull on the needle will withdraw thefree end or" the thread from engagement with the hook as shown in Figure8. The thread can then be grasped, a desired length pulled from thespool, and the needle is then ready for use.

Tn Figures 9 to 15 inclusive a modified construction of the device hasbeen illustrated. In these figures, 19 designates the container forholding the spool S on which is wound the thread T. A. guide 20, whichcan be in the forni of a coiled wire, is arranged in the container forsliding engagement by the thread.

The container has a removable cover 21 provided with spaced disks 22 and23. These disks are separated by a spacing strip 24 located between thelower halves thereof'. The upper halves of the disks have their edgesoutturned and spaced from the wall of the cover to provide an arcuateclearance indicated at 25. These free edges are outturned as shown at 26and secured to disk 23 is a spring linger 27 the free end of whichnormally bears against the disk 22. This finger is disposedsubstantially radially of the disks although inclined laterally as shownin Figure 10.

The periphery of the cover 21 is cut away at one end of the clearance 25as shown at 28 and projecting through this cut away portion or openingis the pointed :free end of a iat spring strip 29. This strip is bowedfrom end to end and is extended longitudinally of the clearance 25between the periphery of the cover 21 and the margin of the disk 23. Thespring is fastened at that end remote from the opening 28 at a pointbeyond the end of the clearance 25 as shown at 30.

In practice, the thread T is threaded through an opening 31 in thespring 29 and is then drawn downwardly within the clearance 25 betweenthe outturned tree edge 2G oi disk 22 and the inner disk 23. The freeend portion of the thread is held gripped against the periphery of thecover at a point substantially diametrically opposite the opening 28.Thereafter the eye portion of a needle N is placed on the free end ofthe spring strip 29 and is slid longitudinally of the strip. This willcause the thread T to be looped about the end portion of the springstrip 29 as shown in Figure 11. As the needle is moved farther to theright, the portion of the thread extending between the disks will belooped about the finger 27 shown by broken lines in Figure 11. As theneedle continues to move to the right the loop L thus formed will bepulled olf of the finger as in Figure 12 while another portion of thethread, indicated at L, will be drawn across finger 27. Needle N is thenmoved to its extreme righthand position as shown in Figure 13 so thatloop L which had previously been formed about and pulled from finger 27will be left unsupported in the space between the disks while theportion L of the thread is pulled downwardly off of the end of thefinger 27. The needle is then started backwardly and during thismovement along the spring 29 the portion L will be looped backwardlyover finger 27 while the slack in the loop L will be gradually taken upas shown in Figure 14. When the needle is ultimately withdrawn from theend of the spring 29, as shown in Figure 15, that portion of the threadextending from the needle to the spool will be pulled out of the openingin the spring strip 29 while the free end portion of the thread will bepulled longitudinally through the eye of the needle and around finger 27with the result that the needle will be completely threaded.

What is claimed is:

1. In a needle threader, the combination with a tubular body having aneedle-receiving opening, of a slotted spring strip seated in the bodyand extending therebeyond for the reception of a thread, and meanswithin the body for engaging and restraining a loop of thread whenformed in the tubular body.

llO

2. A needle threader including a tubular body having a needle-receivingslot, a slotted spring strip secured in the body and ext-endingtherebeyond for insertion into the eye of a needle, and projecting meansWithin the body for engaging and restraining a loop formed of thread inthe body.

3. A needle threader including a tubular body having a needle-receivingslot, a spring w strip secured in the body and projecting therefrom,said strip having a thread-receivn ing slot and being insertable intothe eye of a needle, said strip being adapted to cooperate with the eyeportion ot a needle When the L; needle is moved therealong to form aloop oi" a thread extending through the slot in the Strip, and means inthe body for engaging the loop to restrain it during Withdrawal of aneedle 'trom the strip.

:zo el. A needlel threader including a tubular body having aneedle-receiving slot extending longitudinally thereof, a relativelythin spring strip secured at one end in the body, said strip beingslotted Jfor the reception ot' a thread and having a pointed end forinsertion into the eye of a needle, and a member supported Within thebody for engagement With a loop of thread when formed in the body by thenio-vement of the needle relative 3o to the strip.

5. A needle threader including a container, thread-holding meanstherein, and means carried by the container for threading a needle Withsaid thread, said means including a structure having a needle-receivingclearance, a slotted spring strip secured at one end in the structureand having its other end projecting from the structure for insertioninto the eye portion of a needle, and a member supported in thestructure adjacent to the strip, said strip constituting means forcooperation With the eye portion of a needle to toi-1n a loop in athread and to bring the loop into engagement With the member.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have heretoaliiiied my signature.

ANDREW B. CLARK.

